This Saturday I’ll be in Birmingham, AL at the Local Author Expo at the Central Branch of The Birmingham Public Library. It starts at 9:00AM and is ends at 3:00PM. From what I understand there will be over 100+ authors at the Expo of all genres! This event is going to fantastic!

Some of my authors will be there! Here are a few you need to check out!

Ashley Chappell is a YA author of many talents and sweet to the core. She also writes satire and if that is your thing then you must check out Of War & Taters! It is hilarious! Not only does Ashley write, but she, I and several other superduper ladies are heading up the first ever literary festival in Huntsville, AL this year. It is the Rocket City Lit Festival (RCLF). Ashley has put in many, many hours to make our festival dreams come true. We are a team, but every team needs a great leader, she is definitely ours and boy has she done the most amazing job! If you want to know more about the RCLF then just follow these links:

Kyle Hannah is one of those gentleman who is just that, a gentleman. He has a love for history, which translates well into his Time Assassins series. Time Assassins is a time traveling adventure like no other; just imagine having the job of protecting our history?!? Being in the military for over 28 years you would think that Kyle would be this hard-nosed, rule following and hard to talk to sort of guy, but in truth, he’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Still, there isn’t a shy bone in his body! 😉

B.J. Keeton is the phenomenal steampunk author of the Nimbus series and Birthright, the first in his science fiction trilogy. B.J. wears many hats; he’s not only a writers, but also a teacher and a runner. He has impressed me with his ability to mesh his love of all things geek with a healthy lifestyle. The dedication that it takes to write, get your health under control, teach and just mange your day-to-day life is astounding! If it sounds like something you’re interested in then check out his Facebook page here:

Amy Leigh Strickland is well known for her Olympia Heights series and for a good reason. My stepson is currently on the first book of the series, Olympia Heights: The Pantheon, and is enjoying it immensely. When I first met Amy at the Alabama Phoenix Festival last year on the panel we shared, my first thought was, “Who the heck is this girl, where did she come and why do I love her brain so much?” Amy is so well spoken, spunky, witty and downright adorable.

Brian Weimer was another author I met at the Alabama Phoenix festival. We were both new to the convention scene so we became fast friends. His book, Nexus, caught my attention right away and after the convention I started reading it and devoured it within a few days! I probably could have read it in sitting if I didn’t have to do inconvenient things like eat, sleep and work. The novel took the supernatural and science fiction and blended the two in a way that I hadn’t seen in long time or ever really. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to Nexus, Brian!

I do research into the time period and the customs that I am writing about. I also do extensive world-building.

Do you listen to music while you write or edit? If so, who do you listen to?

The only music I can listen to while writing is instrumental “mood music.” I use the tempo of the music to fit the emotion I am working toward. I can listen to vocals before I start writing a scene. The music I like to set the scene is by: Apocalyptica, Evanescence, Seether, Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin.

When you’re not being an amazing author and writing away, what do you for fun?

READ. I love to read, to be caught up and transported by a story.

What has been the most exciting experience for you since starting your writing career?

I am still fairly new to writing. I guess the most exciting experience would be the satisfaction I feel when a scene comes together.

Who created your amazing cover art?

The incredible graphic artist, Leah Kaye Suttle.

Give us a brief description of your WIP (work in progress) or your newest novel.

The Vita BioGen Legacy: Gods

YA sci-fi, dystopia

A disillusioned teen struggles to survive “winning” The Genetic Lottery.

I am currently working on a 3 book YA sci-fi dystopian series about Human Genetic Engineering. I think the technology has incredible potential, but where do we draw the line? Do we strive for perfection? Will this tech be available for all? Or will only the rich be able to afford it? I was inspired by MT Anderson’s book FEED and an informational video about the future of Bio Chips. It was truly frightening. Now, I believe Bio Chip tech could be a wonderful technology to store data only. But the potential is there for it to become very invasive and privacy robbing.

My series deals with a future where people have surrendered all personal rights and freedoms for a Corporation that takes care of their every need. But for a price. You must obey the Vita BioGen Corporation at all costs. Do what the Corporations tells you. Think, act and dress the way the Corporation wants. Above all, you must obey the rules. For the price of disobedience is Termination (death).

Reader Questions

What author would you geek out over if you met them in real life?

Stephen King (The Master of Horror)

As a reader, what about a book turns you away?

Excessive gore and violence (I don’t like gore either)

If you find you can’t get into a book, do you put it down or be a trooper and finish it?

I’m a trooper all the way. (There have only been a few that I haven’t been able to finish)

Do you stick to one genre or do you like to read around?

I definitely like to read in other genres.

Are you a book-in-your-hands reader, e-booker, or both?

Both. But if I had to pick a favorite: book-in-hand.

Random Questions

Favorite TV show?

The Walking Dead (Oh! We must chat more about this! Who is your favorite character?)

If you could eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Since I’m a vegetarian that would be beans. They have the most protein.

What’s your favorite candy/dessert?

Pumpkin Pie (Do you make your own pie? Is there someone in your family who does? I love baking pumpkin pie!)

What band or musician can you listen to over and over again? You can list more than one.

Breaking Benjamin and Evanescence (Are you a pre-breakup Three Days Grace fan? I’m just curious?)

What is your dream vacation?

India. I want to spend a month living in an Ashram (holy place) and visiting all the temples in Tamil Nadu.

Lexi Witcher is a published author of young adult contemporary paranormal romances. She’s always enjoyed stories about falling in love for the first time and watching programs geared toward teens like Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game, Jane By Design, and Switched at Birth.

Give us 6 details of your new book:

1. New book Title: Twisted Sixteen
2. It’s a continuation in the Dodie Jenks series.
3. Main character is Dodie Jenks. I’m writing in her POV because it is her story. I tried switching and writing it in the hero’s POV but it didn’t work because it wasn’t his story.
4. Leopold is the hero and very pivotal to the outcome of the series.
5. There’s supernatural elements, suspense and romance.
6. It will be available thru Amazon.
Lexi is giving away a copy of Twisted Sixteen! You can enter for you chance to win by clicking the link below:

I was 12 when a friend shared the secret that her dad was writing a book. That sparked something in my head and I tried to write. It wasn’t until a year later when I read my first YA romance that I actually tried to write my own story. The rest is history.

In what genre do you write?

Young Adult. I have a YA Paranormal series and I’ve just began working on a straight YA with romantic elements.

I fly by the seat of my pants because in the initial phase I get ideas and they gel on the computer screen for me. Even when I get stuck I find if I sit down to write something will come to me and I’ll get over the hurdle. I do try to use GMC and have an idea what these three components are for my characters. Do I stick to that? Sometimes, but other times as the story progresses it changes for the characters for the better. Essentially I allow my characters the freedom to write their own story and use me as their medium.

How much research, if any, did you have to put into your novel(s)?

Since I do YA Paranormal I’ve had to spend time researching witchcraft, symbols and their meanings, natural elements, auras, supernatural experiences. I’ve watched programs, read a few books, but mainly searched for aspects on the internet.

Do you listen to music while you write or edit? If so, who do you listen to?

Yes. Yes. Yes. I listen to music when I write and edit. I have made my own mix of music for the series I’m writing.

When you’re not being an amazing author and writing away, what do you for fun?

I spend time with other authors, go to author/reader events, read for pleasure, watch period pieces or YA focused movies. I also love to travel whenever I can.

Who created your amazing cover art?

Christy Carlyle with Gilded Heart Design is my cover artist. She has designed two fabulous covers for my series and I can’t wait to put in the order for my third book which will be available sometime in 2015.

Give us a brief description of your WIP (work in progress) or your newest novel.

Twisted Sixteen is my upcoming release which will be available October 2014. It is the continuing story of Dodie Jenks and the fight to save her from the 300 year old curse that was placed on her family in the late 1700s. As the first born daughter of her generation, Dodie was supposed to have died on her sixteenth birthday, but a warlock named Leopold found a way to save her. The only problem is there is more than the curse out to get her. Will Leopold find a way to keep Dodie alive or will the dark shadows claim her?

Reader Questions

What author would you geek out over if you met them in real life?

Sara Shepard or Alison Noël

Do you stick to one genre or do you like to read around?

I read across many genres.

Are you a book-in-your-hands reader, e-booker, or both?

I do both print and ebooks. Both formats have their merits.

Random Questions

Favorite TV show?

Pretty Little Liars

What’s your favorite candy/dessert?

Birthday cake. I love it.

What band or musician can you listen to over and over again? You can list more than one.

Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, One Republic

What’s your hidden talent?

Creativity, especially when I’m writing YA. The story ideas just come to me.

What is your dream vacation?

Anywhere with a beach. I’d love to go to a private beach resort and be pampered for a month while I write. Now that would be a dream vacation.

I “met” Ginny Gallagher when I first started looking for Book Bloggers to help me promote my book. She was willing to help me and I was thankful for her honest review of both of my books. Ginny is one of those bloggers that you know puts her heart into what she does, keeps her word and is a true champion of Indie Authors. She is a Book Blogger, Graphic/Book Cover Designer and still finds time to write. It seems fitting that she is our Blogger of the Month for our Blog Fest!

Blogger Questions

What made you wake up and say, “I’m going to blog about books!”

I read a lot of books and I found myself not being able to keep track of those favorite quotes or remember if I even liked the book or not. So I started a blog without knowing there was even a thing called book blogs. I just wanted a place to journal my reads.

What genre do you enjoy reviewing the most?

Honestly, it depends on my mood. I most enjoy reviewing books that I love. The hardest books for me to review are the middle of the road books that I didn’t love but I didn’t hate either. It’s sometimes hard to put your finger on exactly what didn’t work for you as the reader.

Is there a genre you haven’t reviewed yet, but want to?

I don’t think so. The only books I don’t review are horror and erotica and those are two genres that I don’t intend on reading.

What hosting site do you use? Blogger, WordPress, other?

Self-hosted WordPress

Are their other Bloggers that you follow?

That’s a tough one because I follow A LOT of blogs. I love blogs. I follow book blogs, design blogs, food blogs, craft blogs, and coupon blogs. You get the idea. I love blogs! I have a Pinterest board for some of the book blogs I follow and I try to add to it as I find other great blogs to follow.

How much time does it take you to get one blog post up? Tell us your process.

Oh no! I’m embarrassed to say that it takes me about two hours to get a review post ready to post. I am anal and I agonize over the review. I don’t want to offend anyone but at the same time I am committed to being 100% honest in my reviews. Sometimes it takes a lot of adding and subtracting of words to find the right balance and not give any of the story away.

I usually get all my basic information set up (book cover, blurb, book links, author information, etc.), take a short break, and then go back and work on my review for about an hour. I really wish I could shorten the time it takes me to write a review. I’m working on it but haven’t found the special potion yet. 🙂

Do you listen to music while you’re blogging? If so, who do you listen to?

Most of the time I keep things quite. I get distracted easily so silence is usually my friend. If I’m just doing formatting or something that doesn’t require too much brain power I turn on Spotify and it’s usually set to 80’s music channel or movie soundtracks. LOL. I am not a loyal music fan. I flip flop all over the place. It drives my husband crazy.

When you’re not being an amazing Blogger, what do you for fun?

Take a nap. 🙂 Really…I love naps. I guess it goes without saying that I also love to read. Outside of naps and reading I enjoy sewing, arts & crafts, watching TV, and just being lazy. Having a lazy day is totally FUN!

What has been the most exciting experience for you since starting your blog?

That would be me (blushing). I love designing. It took me a couple of tries to get something that I really felt captured my personality and blog. I am really happy with how it turned out. Thanks for the cute compliment. 🙂

When did you realize that your blog was a full-time job?

When I was staying up until 2 am to finish a post, reply to emails, and schedule social media posts for the next day. I am still working on balancing everything and not letting it be a 24 hour a day job but I think realizing that you are only one person helps.

You’re also a writer; do you want to tell us what you’re working on?

Eeep…I’m still not used to being referred to as a writer. I’m working on a romantic suspense with a touch of paranormal and a big dose of mystery. It will be a clean romance because that’s what I’m comfortable with and I’m sure readers don’t want to read my juvenile words for body parts. I’m hoping to be able to hit that publish button in Feb. 2015. My Facebook author page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Ginny-Gallagher/880340855311888. I would love for everyone to stop by and give it a like.

Will you be enlisting other Book Bloggers to help you market your book in the future?

Ummm….yes! I will be begging and pleading just like everyone else. I know it is hard to get your book “out there” and I know that everyone has limited time to share and help promote. I hope to have a product that everyone will be proud to share and talk about (fingers crossed and prayers being said).

Overly graphic sex or/and violence earns an instant do not read from me. I don’t have a problem with other people reading and enjoying it. It’s just not something I like.

If you find you can’t get into a book, do you put it down or be a trooper and finish it? How does this work if you’ve promised a review on your blog?

Sometimes I continue on and find that I was just in a mood and the book turns out to be one of my favorites but if I just know that it isn’t going to work out I will go ahead and cut my ties. I also try not to promise reviews. Sometimes books that you think will be a good fit for you and your blog end up not being what you expected. In cases like that I just contact the author and let them know.

Do you stick to one genre or do you like to read around?

Oh, I read around. I’m totally skanky like that. 🙂 There are too many books in the bookstores for me to settle down with just one.

Are you a book-in-your-hands reader, e-booker, or both?

Both. But I do tend to read more on my ereader.

Random Questions

Favorite movie?

Completely mood based but if I could only pick one to watch for months on end it would be Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Favorite TV show?

Currently I’m Netflixing my way through Heart of Dixie. But I also love Sleepy Hollow and can’t wait for The Originals to come back on. Oh, how I miss my vamps.

If you could eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This is hard. Let’s go with Pot Roast that way I still get meat and several different vegetables.

What’s your favorite candy/dessert?

Lemon meringue pie for dessert and I love Twizzlers.

What’s your hidden talent?

Bahaha…. as if I would ever hide a talent..haha. No way! My motto is: “This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine.”

Hey everyone! I’m so thrilled to be kicking of the Paranormal/Horror Blog Fest with Author Racquel Kechagias.

Born in March 1991 in Sydney, Australia, Racquel Kechagias spent most of her childhood reading adventure and fantasy books, while exploring the inner creativity of her mind through her interactions with other children and story-telling. After graduating high school, she entered university to study her Bachelor of Arts where she is majoring in English and Education. She has a deep love for books, chocolate, Supernatural, Marvel movies, anti-heros and villains. She would prefer to have Loki over Thor any day of the week.

Racquel is giving away TWO ebook sets of The Fire of the Soul series. Enter here:

I realized that I wanted to be an author when I was in my late years of high school around 2006-2008. It was when we were requested to do a creative piece of writing that I realized that I had the potential of turning a school project into something more.

In what genre do you write?

The majority of what I’ve written so far has been YA Fantasy as that is my preferred genre to write in. However, I have also released a collection of poetry.

Is there a genre you haven’t written in, but want to?

Yes, I would like to one day try my hand at a thriller or horror genre story. I think a major reason behind that is because I’m a huge Stephan King fan.

It’s a little bit of everything I guess. A lot of it is computer based but I do have a lot of resources that I use that aren’t on the computer either i.e. Character flashcards. Although this may be a little unorthodox when planning a new book or series I start by compiling a playlist. That playlist helps me to keep the same theme, style and mood throughout my process of writing. Most of my outline is done by computer, or through my phone/iPad. I like to back it all up through google drive so I can access it wherever I go. I outline in dot points, elaborating on the major or more complex plot lines. I do both well before I start writing a new book or series as it helps me to stay focused and helps avoid ‘writers block’ 90% of the time.

Who are you writing inspirations, famous or not?

That’s a hard one. There is so many people that are inspirations for me but I’ll only name two to save time. As I mentioned earlier Stephan King is a big one but I’m also inspired by Rachelle Mead as well, every time I read a new book of hers or return to one of my favorites (of hers) I’m left with that same feeling that I got the first time I read the book and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do and now aim to do.

How much research, if any, did you have to put into your novel(s)?

For this series ‘The Fire of the Soul’ there wasn’t much research that I had to do. As the story is set in a parallel world not much of what makes sense in our world relates in there but despite that fact there was still some research that had to be done, mainly it was spent on weapons and naming characters especially the ‘Immortals’ in my series as they are based off of ancient gods (greek, roman, celtic etc).

Do you listen to music while you write or edit? If so, who do you listen to?

Definitely. As I mentioned before I create playlists before I even start writing to get that style and mood that I want for the book/series. One of my favorites to listen to is ‘Two Steps from Hell’. Their music doesn’t have lyrics but it’s all instrumental and is simply amazing. Besides them my taste in music is all over the place. I go from classic rock (Foreigner, ACDC, Bob Seger, Metallica) to more modern rock (Muse, Avenged Sevenfold, The Cab, Evanescence, Linkin Park, Matchbox 20, Maroon 5, Paramore), Movie Scores (I particularly like the Transformers and Dark Knight albums) and I’ve even got some Jazz/Blues in there (I put a spell on you by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins).

When you’re not being an amazing author and writing away, what do you for fun?

Haha besides reading? There’s not much time for fun between work, school and writing but in those precious moments where I do get some free time I’m either chilling before the T.V. screen catching up on my favorite shows or at the mall, do some shopping.

What has been the most exciting experience for you since starting your writing career?

The most exciting experience for me since starting on this crazy ride is being able to meet other authors and some of the amazing readers who have read what I’ve written.

Who created your amazing cover art?

I tried to work with a few people to make my cover art but every time I just wasn’t satisfied. So I decided to learn how to do it myself lol!

Give us a brief description of your WIP (work in progress) or your newest novel.

My current WIP is ‘The Eternal Flame’ the third book in my series ‘The Fire of the Soul’. It basically picks up a week after the events of ‘Last Ashes’ where the main villain Novak has returned from his imprisonment and raises his son Christian back from the dead. The novel follows Anna and her friends during the last leg of her trials and sees her eventual rise to destroy Novak, in a battle that will obliterate the world around her.

I won’t say if Anna is successful in destroying Novak or not but it’ll definitely be something to see. I’m actually really looking forward to publishing this in late January/early February. I don’t know if it will have a HEA/HFN ending but if it does it will have a twist that may or may not cause a riot lol.

Reader Questions

What author would you geek out over if you met them in real life?

Hands down it would be Richelle Mead. Why? Because what girl can’t resist the charms of Adrian Ivashkov? But also because she is one of my favorite authors of all time and I kind of geek-out every time I read one of her books.

Hands down, what is your favorite book of all time and why?

Oh that’s hard. Haha there’s so many and even if I name a series there would still be too many. It’s most likely a tossup between House by Frank E. Peretti & Ted Dekker and Phantom by Susan Kay. House is one of my favorites as it’s a great supernatural thriller about the true extent of humanity’s evil. The second because I’m a fan of The Phantom of the Opera and ‘Phantom’ is about the Phantom (named Eric in the novel) and his life from birth until death. For those who have seen the movie or better yet the musical you would know that there is a lot of mystery surrounding the Phantom’s life before the Opera and this book goes into great depth and sheds some light on to what exactly the Phantom/Eric actually experienced in his life.

What book would you like to see in film or do you believe that books should be left alone?

I love film adaptions of novels, they provide a gateway for interest in the books for those less inclinded to read and for those of us who have read the book before the movie, it shows us an interpretation of the stories we love. Yes, there are some that aren’t as great as the book i.e. ‘Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters (2014)’ and ‘The Host (2013)’ but there are some that go beyond expectation such as ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘Catching Fire’ and the much-awaited ‘Mockinjay Pt 1’ as well as ‘The Maze Runner’ and ‘The Fault in our Stars’ to name a few.

The movie I’m most excited to see (that’s already in production) is the Mockinjay movies. I mean who isn’t excited to see it?! But as for what isn’t made into movies I think I would like to see Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel ‘The Sandman’ done as a TV series. I think it would be too long of a series to be done as a movie but it would definitely be interesting to see.

As a reader, what about a book turns you away?

I think what turns me away most is if it’s slow to begin or if it’s too predictable. I feel that a book should pique your interest from the first few pages.

If you find you can’t get into a book, do you put it down or be a trooper and finish it?

I’m usually a trooper and push through. I rarely find that I can’t finish a book but there are times when it happens.

Do you stick to one genre or do you like to read around?

I do like to read around but I tend to stay away from anything in the romance/erotica genres. I don’t mind if there’s some romance thrown in with a different genre but I don’t stay interested in it for too long if it’s by itself.

Are you a book-in-your-hands reader, e-booker, or both?

Both. If it’s a traditionally published book then I prefer a paperback but as I’ve begun reading indie books as well (in a sense to give back and to help out others) so I usually get them as e-books.

Random Questions

Favorite movie?

There’s far too many to name them all. I enjoy watching anything with Jim Carey in it (but especially Bruce Almighty, The Cable Guy), Easy A, The Underworld Series (But not #2) and The Hunger Game movies.

Favorite TV show?

There’s far too many to name them all. To name a few though there is Supernatural!!!, Haven, American Horror Story (That clown looks scary as hell, did I mention I have a fear of clowns?!), The Strain, Hart of Dixie, Hannibal!!!, The Big Bang Theory, Once Upon a Time, Beauty and the Beast, Game of Thrones and Grimm.

If you could eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Haha I don’t know, maybe Shepherd’s Pie but eventually I would get sick of it.

What’s your favorite candy/dessert?

Any type of pie or tart, though I prefer apple or pecan pie and custard tarts.

What band or musician can you listen to over and over again? You can list more than one.

I think that may be Lady Antebellum, Tyrone Wells or The Cab.

What’s your hidden talent?

My hidden talent is good at hiding that even I don’t know what it is lol.

What is your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be somewhere out in the woods in a cottage or a cabin.

I found my best friend at the Tennessee Valley Author Event in Knoxville. From the moment I walked over to her wonderfully decorated table I knew this tall, beautiful girl, with a purple streak in her hair, was going to be my BFF for the rest of the day. You know what, she was. We had breakfast together and traded books at the end of the event.

Janae and I at the TNVAE in Knoxville, TN.

The friendship soon spilled over into Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. It didn’t take me long to figure out I was a good judge of character and I had chosen my best friend wisely. For example, she’s a huge Harry Potter fan, she was obviously a fan of purple (hence the highlight in her hair) and loved YA Paranormal. To me, that solidified the friendship and I knew that I wanted Janae Mitchell on my blog.

Janae Mitchell

Janae has been a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Her genre of choice was poetry and short stories—until now. After falling in love with so many books over the past decade, she decided that she wanted to write a novel of her own and bring life to the characters that haunt her mind. It wasn’t until 2012 that she pursued that passion and started on her first YA novel. 115,000 words later, For Always was born.

Having grown up in an historical Dandridge home that was used as slave quarters during the Civil War, she experienced several things that couldn’t be explained. Due to these events, she sought out and joined an investigative team called Eyewitness Paranormal. Her interest in ghosts and the unexplained, combined with her love for telling a story, made writing the For Always series inevitable.

Janae was born and raised in East Tennessee, where she currently resides with her husband, two children, and their hairless dog, Slick. In her spare time, she likes to read, play tennis, and spend time with her family on the lake.

For Always

Author Questions

When did you realize you wanted to be an author?Well, I used to write short stories as a kid just for fun. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I actually took that desire to tell a story and ran with it, which led me to my first book series, For Always.

In what genre do you write? Young Adult, mainly of the paranormal variety. I’ve got a bit of a fascination with ghosts.

Is there a genre you haven’t written in, but want to?I’ve been asked to write fantasy, which might be cool.

What is your writing process? Such as, outlining, freehand, computer vs paper and pen?Since I don’t even like writing a grocery list out, I only freehand important notes that I don’t want to forget. I don’t outline, either, but keep telling myself that I need to. I tend to play out scenes in my head while doing random things and then sit down and write them out later… while listening to SiriusXM; I can’t write in silence.

Who are you writing inspirations, famous or not?Hmm… that’s a tough one. I tend to pull stories and characters from thin air. Sometimes I’ll let my characters have certain characteristics of those around me, even myself on occasion, or I’ll incorporate some random memory into the story. But for the most part, music is my inspiration. Certain songs set the mood and help build the characters and storyline in my head.

For Now

How much research, if any, did you have to put into your novel(s)? The For Always series involves a character (Beau Brogan) who lived in the late 1800’s early 1900’s, as well as some Latin, all of which I know nothing about. So, for that story, I had to do a bit of research to make sure I was getting it right and not letting Beau eat popcorn before it was invented or saying phrases that weren’t relevant to his time.

Do you listen to music while you write or edit? If so, who do you listen to? Most definitely. As I mentioned before, music is a big inspiration and I’m listening to it right at this very moment, actually—my all-time fav, Prince. When I’m forming stories in my head, I usually listen to my iPod. Crossfade is a band that’s usually on my most-played list. Certain songs inspire certain scenes and I’ll focus on those when I need to. I’ve even mentioned a few those songs in my books that they helped to inspire.

When you’re not being an amazing author and writing away, what do you for fun?When it’s not too hot and humid in this southern heat, I love to play tennis. And when it is too hot and humid for that, we’re on the lake. I also love to read, of course, which is my winter sport.

What has been the most exciting experience for you since starting your writing career? Oh, my… there seems to be so many. I’m trying to think of when I actually busted out in my happy dance. I guess when I signed my first publishing contract, which is always a big deal. I also get extremely excited when people like my books; the fact that there are people who call themselves my fans and say they fangirl over me is amazing. (But I can’t bring myself to call them that… to me, they’ll always be my readers.)

Who created your amazing cover art? Eden Crane Designs

Is there an artist, book blogger, editor or anyone else that you want to give a shout out to?There are SO many bloggers I could mention that I hate mentioning just one. Bloggers and reviewers are the ones who put our books out there in the public eye, and usually without getting anything in return. I love bloggers!

Give us a brief description of your WIP (work in progress) or your newest novel.The final installment in the For Always series, “For Eternity”, is my next book that’s coming out, but I don’t have a release date yet. Until then, I’m working on a bit of a spin-off novel from that series, which will incorporate a character that isn’t mentioned until the epilogue of the last book… and that’s all I can say about that. *insert evil grin here*

For Eternity

Reader Questions

What author would you geek out over if you met them in real life? Oh, mylanta… just letting all the possibilities dance through my mind made me shiver. I’d have to say, without a doubt, that I’d completely geek out over J.K. Rowling. I might even drool just a bit. It would be embarrassing.

Hands down, what is your favorite book of all time and why? Harry Potter—all of them. The way the story unfolds from beginning to end is absolutely genius, in my opinion. I’m so glad to be a part of the HP generation.

What book would you like to see in film or do you believe that books should be left alone?Books are always better, however, I really enjoy watching film adaptations of them… unless they royally screw them up and they’re nothing like the book—then I just get pissy. I’d love to see Jennifer Armentrout’s Lux series be made into a movie, which if I’m not mistaken, is in the works.

As a reader, what about a book turns you away? If the book doesn’t play out like a movie in my mind or just doesn’t make sense, I can’t do it. I also don’t like over-writing, which sometimes inhibits the flow instead of adding to it. Being a southerner, I also don’t like bad southern dialect from authors who obviously aren’t southern.

If you find you can’t get into a book, do you put it down or be a trooper and finish it?I’m not a trooper lol. I’d have to be bored to the point of doing something stupid and dangerous to finish a book I didn’t like—reading a bad book is better than going to jail.

Do you stick to one genre or do you like to read around? I’m partial to YA paranormal, but tend to like all paranormal, as well as contemporary.

Are you a book-in-your-hands reader, e-booker, or both?Both. If the e-book is awesome, I want the hardback.

Random Questions

Favorite movie? Of course I love the Twilight and Harry Potter movies, but if we don’t count those, I’d have to say it’s a tie between Labrinth and The Goonies.

Favorite TV show?Ghost Hunters & Ghost Adventures

If you could eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?A Blondie from Applebees

If you’ve signed up for mailing list then you’ve already been privy to my recent announcements. However, for those of you who are inundated with emails (I understand) you can see what’s happening here on my blog.

This past weekend, I had the privilege to attend the Tennessee Valley Author event in Knoxville. I had so much fun. When we arrived in Knoxville Friday, Katja and I were so hungry. So we decided to eat at the Cheesecake Factory again, just like we did in Birmingham. After we ate we ended up going to the mall just next door and walked around for a while. We found out that there was a movie theater in the mall so we stopped by it and took a look. There was a giant camera in there, it was so cool. I loved the theme of the Theater!

After we got back to the Hotel room we decided to check out the gym downstairs. We worked out for about an hour and worked off the food from the Cheesecake Factory. Took showers and we were ready for bed.

The next morning we woke up ready for the day. When we got to the event, there were already people sitting in chairs outside the door to get in. There were going to be a lot of people there especially since it was only nine o’clock in the morning and it opened at twelve. After Katja and I set up the table we were ready. I walked around and met some of the other authors there and talked with them for a while. At twelve o’clock the doors opened and people swarmed in. We were the very first table when you walked in so we saw everyone. So many people stopped and we sold lots of books.

For some people this was their first Author Event and they were so excited. One woman walked in, her name was Traci, and she just had the biggest smile on her face. You could tell she was so happy, and luckily I was the first table she came to. Later that night we went to the after party and ran into Traci and Liz and ended up sitting with them at a table along with a couple of other people. We had a ball. I was laughing so hard my cheeks started hurting. I am so glad I got to meet these ladies.

Overall the Weekend was so amazing, that night we ate at Crackle Barrel and headed back to the hotel room. The next morning we ate at The Cheesecake Factory again and actually tried the cheesecake. Then sadly started back to Alabama. I want to thank Kathy Womack for letting us come this year and I hope we will get to come back next year. You did an amazing job putting everything together and you were so nice and perfect for being the host of this event. Awesome Job Kathy! Also I couldn’t have done it without my amazing assistant Katja.

There are not enough hours in the day. I’ve said and hear this a lot. While it holds a lot of truth it can also be an excuse. That is why I was so glad when Author Alan Lewis asked me to be a part of this amazing Blog Tour. For one, it allowed me to share with others what my writing process is and gave me a kick in the butt to keep up with my blog!

Thanks to the Query Faerie for the challenge to all of us authors. Please check out her blog!

If you don’t know anything about Alan then you should get to know him! He’s an amazing author from Tennessee and writes Steampunk and Pulp stories. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Alabama Phoenix Festival this year. Check him out here:

Currently, I’m working on book three of The Darkness Trilogy, my YA Paranormal Thriller. It is yet to be publicly named, but I have a pretty good idea of the title. Funnily enough, I have the ending already mapped out and have even started on the opening. However, I’m not sure how I’m going to get from point A to point B. I’m sure it will all come together as my writing usually does. This is the first time that I’ve started from the ending though. It’s been quite the experience!

When I need a bit of a break from book 3 I am working on a novella from one of the characters from The Darkness Trilogy. I can’t say which character that is yet, but I will say that it is a female. Her voice was one that I wanted to capture into an entire novel. To me, her character needs and deserves her own story and more room to grow. I’m not saying that it will be a continuation of the original story, but it will have similar elements.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

There are so many YA Paranormal books out there it’s hard to keep up with what’s what. However, I would hope that my series can stand out for numerous reasons. For starters, the lead character is a young girl of faith. I didn’t write the books to be targeted to a Christian audience only, but I wanted her to be someone who depends a lot of her faith. I am someone of faith and know that there are many things I have gone threw that would have been impossible without God. My series isn’t preachy, it’s more like speculative Christian. I’ve had several readers who are of other faiths or with no religious beliefs at all that have enjoyed the series. I believe that is because people pick up on the biggest point of the book, hope.

Why do I write what I do?

I’ve always said that if I didn’t write I would go insane. There are so many voices in my head, characters waiting to be born, that if I ignored them I’d lose my mind. The bottom line is, I love it. There isn’t anything better to me then to sit down and create an entire new life with words. Investing in my characters and their worlds is therapeutic, my escape from reality. The world throws so much at us. We are beat up from work, people and so much more. For me, I want to wrap myself up in my work for just a moment. It’s rejuvenating!

How does your writing process work?

One of the main reasons I wanted to do this Blog Tour is because I really don’t have a writing process per se. There are very analytical writers out there and I applaud them. They outline plot points, character development, and much more. I can’t work that way and I believe it’s because my thought process is just too scattered. The most I have ever done is write out who the characters are and what they might look like. Other than that, I free hand their stories into my journal. I love having a pen or pencil in my hand and just write. Sometimes I just sit down with a fresh piece of paper and start writing. I’ll have no idea what I’m going to say or who I’ll create. That is the fun part! When the story is ready that is when I’ll transcribe it to a Word document and go from there.

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me a bit more. If you get a chance, go check out these next authors that will be the next to tackle the four questions above:

Jeremy Hicks:

Jeremy Hicks

After nearly dying at birth, Jeremy Hicks gave up his ghost during the sorrowful autumn of his twelfth year. The outsider that occupied his body from that point onward did the best it could to imitate him. However, this being’s bizarre sense of humor and inability to fully mimic human emotions kept it an outsider. After many unhappy years of trying to assimilate to this plane of existence and its daily doldrums, he turned to the cadre of demons in his life for other options.

He teamed up with one of them inhabiting a ginger known as Barry Hayes and together they turned their nightmares into fiction. The writing team of Hicks & Hayes created an original horror-fantasy environment (Faltyr™), wrote a screenplay (The Cycle of Ages Saga: Finders Keepers) to introduce it, and then adapted it into a novelization of the same name. As a result, their first novel was published by Dark Oak Press in August 2013.

Jeremy co-owns Broke Guys Productions and served as Associate Producer on the independent horror film, “Curse of the Rougarou.” He is also a poet and short story writer.

Brian Weimer:

Brian Weimer

Brian Weimer is an author, and digital artist from Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Southeastern Bible College with a degree in theology. Brian has recently released his first novel, Nexus, a supernatural, sci-fi thriller currently available on Amazon.com. He is a regular writer for The Examiner, covering such topics as entertainment, pop culture, health and nutrition, and a range of other topics. He is currently working on his second novel, The Citadel, a horror story, as well as a follow up to Nexus.